Ms Tuuli Rantala:

The board of Comhdáil Oileáin na hÉireann expresses thanks to the Chair and members of the joint committee for the opportunity to discuss how the sustainable development goals can be, and are being, achieved on the offshore islands.

To provide an overview of the key issues that can be emphasized concerning the SDG goals, we have categorised them into four different areas. These can be seen in the document circulated to the committee beforehand. Some goals highlight the gaps and challenges that affect our daily lives on the islands. Other goals relate to barriers faced in sustaining island communities, such as availability of affordable housing. Goals are also highlighted that demonstrate how islands and islanders can actively contribute to addressing environmental issues. Certain goals further showcase the valuable role that islands play as part of a positive change.

Among the factors that impact our daily lives, such as lack of child care, elder care, or access to clean water, we draw the committee's attention to the issue of higher living costs. Poverty, as well as social inequity and lack of inclusivity, can often be hidden in rural areas and communities like the islands. Bringing the cost of, and access to, basic commodities such as food, energy, housing, education and healthcare to the national level would stimulate island economies, improve livelihoods and enhance the overall well-being and stability of island communities.

Practical measures should include a ferry and freight subsidy system to keep costs as low as possible, reducing the additional financial expenses of islanders. Under the current system, costs to islanders for freight can be more than 250% higher than to those on the mainland.

Several sustainable development goals, SDGs, relate to the barriers to the sustainability and growth of island communities, such as inadequate infrastructure and facilities, limited access to basic services and uncertainties related to education. In the current housing crisis, islands are not an exception. To highlight just one barrier to growth, we urgently need more affordable and suitable housing options. Updated laws on planning policy limit islanders from building on their own islands. The demand for second home ownership has driven the price of island housing beyond the reach of islanders. We currently have island residents unable to find suitable housing, young people unable to establish their own households and island descendants who are not able to return to their home island. It is not a lack of islanders but rather a lack of affordable suitable housing that poses a challenge. The outcomes of the offshore islands housing study, carried out and currently being analysed by University College Cork, will provide recommendations regarding the offshore islands. The vacant property refurbishment grant and the top-up for the islands are welcomed, especially as turning an old stone cottage into a modern energy-efficient home is not without substantial costs and challenges.

The SDGs can show where the challenges are but, in the case of the islands, they also show where there is great potential. For instance, sustainable fishing practices and food production on islands showcase best practices for coexistence between people and their surroundings both on land and in the surrounding waters. Islands have both the potential and the will to act as forerunners in climate action. On an offshore island, you experience nature at first hand through the storms and rough seas, which can disrupt all plans for travel. This is what truly separates us from our mainland counterparts. We will also experience the impacts of climate change through droughts and rising sea levels. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, home retrofit scheme is welcomed but, unfortunately, it will not translate due to higher construction costs and set requirements for contractors. With the committee's support, we want to take on these challenges. Islands are ideal test beds for climate action and showcasing sustainable solutions.

We hope the committee recognises the offshore islands as part of the solutions and of positive change. There are great possibilities for sustainable growth on the islands. We welcome the instruments enabling the creation of remote working facilities. The provision of vital fibre optic cable connections will attract both emigrant islanders and new residents to the islands. The blue economy is at the heart of the European Green Deal and the recovery plan for Europe. The offshore islands are already working with these and welcome the planning support offered through, for example, the clean energy for EU islands secretariat and the support for energy master plans through the SEAI. Besides renewable energy, this sector means contributing through sustainable food production and tourism as well as emerging fields such as seaweed farming and marine biotechnology. We aim for best practice examples of supporting the circular economy through modern waste recycling facilities on the offshore islands. These initiatives are not only seen by the islands, but by the tens of thousands of visitors who get to experience them on the offshore islands. However, in order for the offshore islands to persevere, live and thrive, we want to highlight that real financial support for infrastructure projects, lifeline services and capital works is needed. A consistent and properly funded island capital budget programme and ring-fenced funding for island projects are critical to the long-term sustainability of the offshore islands.

An overview of the SDGs in the context of the offshore islands showcases how the SDGs are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. It shows how positive progress on one goal will have ripple effects. On the other hand, failing to address some could prevent any progress on others. Our Living Islands, the new islands policy, which was just launched two weeks ago, states, “The aim is to ensure that sustainable, vibrant communities can continue to live – and thrive – on the offshore islands for many years to come.” We hope the new islands policy will translate into real support and funding for the offshore islands and success stories as to how the SDG goals can be achieved through cross-sectoral collaboration and inter-departmental efforts. We thank the committee for its time and are happy to answer any questions members might have.